Letting Her Hair Down
by DelenaDreaming
Summary: Caroline convinces Elena to go on a 1 week relaxing 'vacation' with everyone. They all have their fingers crossed that it'll stay that way. Please R/R!
1. Chapter 1

"Uh... What?" said Elena, staring wide-eyed to Caroline's happy expression.

"What? It'll be a great thing for all of us. We can get away from all the Klaus and Stefan drama! " said Caroline, following Elena as she walked out the kitchen door.

"You're not being serious, are you? " Elena asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Give me one good reason why we shouldn't do this! " she exclaimed and Elena turned to her, raising an eyebrow.

"Klaus has more time to plan something bad, we'll have no idea where Stefan is, we'll miss out on school- " before Elena could say more Caroline interrupted her.

"I said one! Come on, Elena! Just for a week? " Caroline asked, walking over to her.

Elena looked at Caroline almost as if she had done something unbelievable-which she had, "I can't believe you of all people are suggesting this! What about Tyler? "

"This isn't about Tyler! Look, I know how important getting Stefan back is to you but I figure every one that has been through what you've been through deserves a break every now and then! " said Caroline and Elena had to admit, it sounded amazing.

"I just- I don't think I can… " said Elena and Caroline sighed.

"Look, I promise you, you won't regret coming to this! Please? " she asked and Elena sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Yeah… okay, fine. " said Elena and Caroline did a little jump for joy.

They exchanged a hug and as Caroline pulled away, she grinned, "So what are you waiting for? Let's get out of here. "

Elena frowned, straightening out her denim shorts, "What are you talking about? I haven't even packed yet! "

"You have no idea. " said Caroline, grabbing Elena's hands and pulling her outside. Elena was about to protest when she realised what was happening.

Alaric was standing by the back of Damon's car, talking to someone that was… on her roof?

"Damon, what the hell are you doing? " she screamed at the tall, dark and handsome man that had just thrown a suitcase off the roof.

He looked down and grinned, "Hey there, princess, I'm just packing your bags for you, so you don't have to bother. No need to thank me for that by the way. " he said, making it the ground to catch the case before it made impact with the driveway.

"What is happening? " she asked, moving off of the porch and closer to Damon's car where Bonnie had just climbed out of.

"We figured you'd act this way… "

Elena closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "This is unbelievable. " she said, looking around at all of them, Caroline, Damon, Bonnie, Matt and Alaric.

Damon walked over to her, putting a strand of hair behind her ear, "Believe it. We're going. " he said and she fought her hardest not to grin but failed miserably as it spread across the features of her face.

"Okay, okay… Would you rather have to live in Madonna's body for the rest of your life or have hair on your teeth for the rest of your life. " suggested Matt, lightening the mood of the car.

Everyone was in their own conversation as Matt said that and Elena smiled, she had to admit, she almost felt like a normal teenager.

She was sitting in the back seat in the middle of Matt and Caroline, Bonnie leaning on both of them as there weren't enough seats.

Every now and then, she'd sneak glances in the rear view mirror, catching Damon's eye, soon looking away.

As every one answered, Elena grabbed her phone out of the handbag that Caroline had packed full of things she might need, Elena grinned at the thought of how much they'd done to help her, to get her to agree with this 'vacation'. She really was looking forward to where they were going and as they rolled past the 'You are now leaving Mystic Falls' sign, she grinned.

It was time to let her hair down.

They all piled into the motel that they had decided to stay at for the night. No one but Alaric and Damon knew where they were going and she had decided to keep it that way. She'd rather be surprised.

Elena placed her bag on the bed and sat down, looking around, taking a deep breath.

She couldn't believe that she had agreed to this but on the other hand, she wanted to do it- to step out of Mystic Falls and be a normal teenager just for once.

"Whatever is running around in that little brain of yours, turn it off, you should get some sleep. " Damon said as he swaggered into the room, sitting next to her.

Her voice broke as she replied, "Thank you, Damon. " she meant the words as they escaped her mouth.

And he frowned as they did, "What are you talking about? " he asked, as she moved closer to him.

"For setting this up for me. And even though I'm kind of hesitant towards where we're going, I'm happy to get away from the craziness. " she said, becoming aware of the music playing from the radio.

"I have a way you can thank me. " he said and she frowned as he stood and turned up the volume of the radio.

She was pretty sure she knew what he was suggesting and as the cheerful music blasted through the speakers, she looked at him questionably as he held out his hand to her.

"It would be rude not to dance. " he said and she grinned from ear to ear.

"Are you serious, Damon? " she asked and he shrugged.

"You don't want to? " he asked and she slowly shook her head.

"Well… your big smile says otherwise. " She sighed, smiling.

And grabbed his out-held hand.

_**Thanks for reading! I have big plans for this story and am so excited to hear what people have to say, please help me out and give me some feedback, positive or negative! **_

_**More reviews=Faster Updates!**_

_**-Kate.**_


	2. Chapter 2

When she thought about what she would be doing on this 'road trip', Elena thought about the different things she would be doing, most of those things leading back to feeling depressed about Stefan and Klaus. She never thought she would be dancing crazily in the middle of a hotel room with Damon Salvatore of all people.

And although she felt like she shouldn't, she was enjoying every second of it.

In fact, Elena's thoughts were nowhere near Stefan and Klaus, and the unhappiness of Mystic Falls. Her mind was focused on the situation she was in right now, dancing her mind away. She was actually laughing as her and Damon strode around the tight-spaced motel room.

The music was drifting through her mind as the banging on the wall started. They both drifted back to the real world as they realised that all of them weren't the only ones in the motel. Damon laughed, pulling away from her and turning the music down, a confused Bonnie walking through the door with a raised eyebrow.

"Were you two just-"Damon finished for her.

"Dancing? It's a possibility and none of your business." He said to her, walking out of the room to Alaric but not before giving a quick wink to Elena.

She tried her hardest to hide the blush that was rising to her cheeks as Bonnie walked closer, she really did! But Bonnie, being her best friend, saw it as soon as it became visible and crossed her arms over her chest, an amused smile spreading across the features of her face.

"Okay, whatever you're about to say, hold it back until I can find an answer?" Elena said quickly, knowing that Bonnie would get what she meant.

Spending time with Damon was easy and fun but the aftermath was complicated and always would be. But he was Damon and no matter what the situation was, he would always cheer her up. Somewhere inside of her she knew what she felt for him. However, those feelings were hidden under a pile of angst, hatred, history and her feelings for Stefan.

Although, she felt soon enough, those feelings would be tested and magnified. After all, she had a whole week of Damon ahead of her.

"We're back!" A voice from behind Elena said with a hint of excitement in their tone.

Elena turned to see Matt and Caroline walking through the door, holding two pizza boxes. Elena didn't have to ask what they were holding, it was kind of obvious.

They walked into the kitchen to set it down on the table as everyone sauntered in, each taking a seat around the table.

Alaric and Damon walked into the kitchen, Alaric taking a seat in between Caroline and Damon, Damon sitting next to Elena.

He smiled at her raised eyebrow and as everyone dug into their pizza, Elena relished in the moment.

She felt as though some time now, something would pop up and destroy her carelessness and completely rob her of her free personality.

It almost felt surreal to be sitting here with some of her closest friends whom she had spent a dramatic portion of her life with, and just eating pizza, laughing at the most ridiculous things.

Sometime between everyone finishing their dinner and the silly tired talk between everyone, Elena's head had fallen onto Damon's shoulder and his hand had subconsciously grabbed hers. It was a hushed movement and none of them did anything to draw attention to it.

That was the thing with Damon and her.

Most of the things they experienced were unspoken.

And it was their unspoken relationship that made her feel special to be in it.

Eventually everyone had sauntered off to bed, either on the actual beds or on the floor with a duvet on a pillow, as there wasn't enough room in the motel.

Elena was slowly falling asleep in one of the beds, Damon by her side. Yes, Damon was sleeping in bed next to her, it wasn't anything sexual, and they were just sleeping.

But the feeling of wanting more than just sleeping ran through her mind and she soon drifted off with a twinge of excitement for tomorrow and a hint of confusion about her and Damon.

Everything was silent as she woke up the next morning and turning slightly in bed, she found herself extremely close to Damon's face, his lips just an inch away from hers and if she was being honest, she was almost tempted to kiss him right then and there. Her brain soon got a hold of the situation, making her turn around to find everyone still asleep, Alaric snoring from the other room, pacing back and forth as she hopped out of bed.

Usually, she would've been the one to stay in bed but something about the excitement to keep going to their destination was telling her to get ready for the day, like a child on Christmas morning. Giddy with anticipation of wanting to find out what was to come.

She grabbed a change of clothes and had a quick shower, walking out of the bathroom to find Caroline and Bonnie sitting in the kitchen, eating breakfast, one a muesli bar and another, a cup of what Elena assumed was blood.

"Hey Lena." Said Caroline, moving over to the island in the middle of the kitchen and sitting next to Elena, "Excited for the new day? "

Elena chuckled at the statement, it seemed ridiculous to say yes, but she did anyway because she was letting her hair down!

They continued with a conversation only three best friends could have when a tired Alaric walked through the kitchen door, going to the fridge to get some water.

"I want to get out of this place as soon as possible and Damon and Matt are still in bed. If we get packed, maybe we could all go to a café and grab some breakfast there when we get back on the road?" Alaric suggested and everyone could tell he was fed up with the stuffiness of the tiny motel room.

"Good idea, it would be an even better idea if I knew where we were going…" Said Elena, curiosity burning through her brain.

"Nope, we all agreed it would be a surprise." Said Alaric.

"Well, most of us anyway, Bonnie and Caroline still don't know where we're going." A grinning Damon said, moving towards Caroline and raising an eyebrow at the cup in her hand.

The two bickered for a second as Elena turned to Bonnie, "You don't know where we're going? And you still agreed to go. This is unbelievable. "

Elena took the time that Bonnie went to get Matt and Alaric having a shower, to take in Damon's current status.

He was composed; obviously he had used his vampire speed to get ready as a tight white tee trapped his toned chest, accentuating everything that Elena was trying her hardest not to pay attention to. His hair was slightly messy, in a very attractive way and Elena had a huge urge to run her fingers through his soft, raven hair but decided against it.

It was at this point that she realised she was staring at him and as she was brought back to reality, she realised Damon had caught her eye with a slightly amused look on his face.

She blinked and turned away from him, biting her lip as she prepared her bags to leave.

_**There was chapter two! Thanks for reading and please leave a review, they're what inspire me to keep writing. So tell me what you think! 3**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hello, everyone! Thank you for all your super amazing reviews. I couldn't ask for better readers and I can't wait to share more of this story with you. And while I won't hold you to reading this—who reads these anyway? – I just really wanted to thank you. Seriously, you all give me inspiration to write more.**_

_**xXx**_

They were walking out of the motel lobby by ten AM, bags packed. This time, thanks to the owner of the motel, - who apparently was an old friend of Damon's – told them to take one of the rent-a-car ones—something that Elena thanks him for more than once.

Being cramped into Damon's car, along with five other people, wasn't something that she was looking forward to.

The group split up—Elena, Alaric and Damon in one car whilst Bonnie, Caroline and Matt were in the other – and soon decided to head off; Caroline driving behind Damon the entire time—she had a habit of getting lost and, for this occasion, that would not be a fun thing to do.

"So how long are we going to be driving?" A curious Elena Gilbert queried from the backseat of Damon's classic blue Chevy Camaro.

"Forty-five minutes at the least—we still have to get something to eat for breakfast, don't we?" He suggested and even though she couldn't see it, Elena could literally hear the smirk in his voice.

Damon had protested against the groups earlier plans – meaning he had said no once and began to sprint around the room at vampire speed, claiming,

"_We have to go—unless you want a cranky, snarky one hundred and seventy year old vampire on your hands," _

To which Bonnie snidely remarked,

"_Don't we always?"_

xXx

"I'm getting hungry; and when I get hungry I get cranky and that is _never _a good thing." – were the only words that left Caroline Forbes' mouth as they arrived at one of the well-known buffet breakfast houses. A small chuckle left Elena's lips as they all ambled through the doors, the scent of cinnamon pancakes and freshly-brewed coffee filling the air.

Yet another chortle escaped Elena's quirked lips as she watched Caroline practically dive into her seat at the table.

Damon politely pulled Elena's chair out for her, purposely slumping into the chair in which Bonnie herself was about to relax into. A quick roll of her eyes had him smirking as he watched her move to sit next to Elena.

"So what are we getting?" Alaric queried to no one in particular as the group picked up the menus, their eyes scanning over the different assortments of food. Everything looked amazing in Elena's eyes.

It was only when Elena glimpsed up to see Damon and Alaric trying to hit each other with the menus. They really were like brothers. And she knew Damon felt the same way. Alaric was his closest friend—his confidant. She finally understood why the two acted the way that they did.

"Pancakes; I want pancakes," Elena uttered, nodding her head unwaveringly as she peeked around to see trays upon trays of different banquets.

Caroline's eyes followed suit and soon widened. "Holy crap; screw pancakes, I want bacon." She stood from the table, leaving Elena to pout after her friend.

"By the way—I'm not responsible for anything Caroline does. I know that this trip was my idea but I'm horrible at being a father figure—I'll leave that responsibility to Alaric," Damon announced, a smirk rising to his lips as he too stood from the table.

Soon enough, he was on the other side of the table, pulling Elena's chair out—while she was still on it, of course.

"You wanted pancakes, miss Gilbert?" He suggested, offering her an amiable smile.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she glimpsed up to meet his eyes—so full of light that it slightly confused her. There had been so many things that had happened in the past year or so that she would expect a frown on anyone's face—even Caroline's.

The waiters and waitresses were simply ambling about the place, making sure there were no misunderstandings or trouble-makers.

However, it was a bit too late for that. Damon Salvatore had already entered the building.

As the unlikely pair began to stroll towards the stovetop to make their pancakes, they began to speak, Elena taking the first poke as she voiced the words,

"How do you do it?"

You can be sure that _that_ one caused a frown to his face—something that she couldn't help but chuckle at.

His creased eyebrows asked the question that his mouth never did and he waited for her to explain in further detail.

"I mean—how do you keep that stupid grin on your face after… after everything? I mean—I wouldn't be surprised if everyone just began to sort of break down."

It was Damon's turn to sigh as his right hand drifted to the small of her back. "I'm here with you—and if that doesn't make me smile, I don't know what will. I'm trying to focus on right now rather than the past or hell—even the future. We're letting loose, remember? Even if it is for five minutes."

His words reminded her of their time in Georgia; they'd barely known each other then and the things that she had known about him consisted of the fact that he liked to kill people and did it on a regular basis.

And even though Elena, the girl who had tried so hard for so long to be a good person, knew all of that information, she and Damon clicked almost instantly. She trusted him even then and that trust surprised her. All she knew now was that she wanted to see more of him.

It took her a while to speak again because she knew he was right; she was trying to be carefree, it just wasn't working too well. Every time she even let herself be happy or carefree, thoughts of Stefan and what Klaus would have been doing with Stefan at that moment. For all she knew, they were ripping town from town apart right now. Or perhaps Stefan was laying in a ditch somewhere, his body desecrated.

That was what scared her—the fact that anything could have happened to him.

They approached the stove top and couldn't believe what they saw.

"—Oh my god."

xXx

_**Hehe. Okay—I had to. Assumptions, anyone? I'd love to hear 'em. I'd also love to hear what you thought about the chapter. I already potentially know where the next couple of chapters are going and until I get those under control, I'd love to **_


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